Analyzing Our Friendship Moments
by angelkittysmith
Summary: Sarah, James, and Henri move to a new apartment, and we look back and discuss some of the most important moments of our childhood, and how we can remember and improve on our behaviors as adults. Many episodes from the show are used as references to the series. NOTE: I do not own Liberty's Kids.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: A New Home

During Labor Day weekend 2016, just before I went to Uniontown with my mom, I stopped at Sarah, James, and Henri's brand new apartment in Oakland. They moved to Oakland in early August, right before they went on vacation to Ocean City, Maryland. "Wow, this is a very nice apartment you have, Sarah," I told my best friend. "Thanks, Angel," Sarah then replied back. "I wish I could move in with you guys." "You will, someday," James, Sarah's older brother, reminded me. "Uh-huh," Henri, Sarah's other brother, agreed. "Is it okay if I come up to your room?" I asked. "You know, just to get something to eat and talk?" "Absolutely," James agreed. "Come upstairs with us." "Lead the way, James," Sarah agreed. We then took an elevator to room 203, which was their room. I then saw Sarah's bed, and James and Henri's bunk beds. "Here is the kitchen, where we have lots of good snacks," James showed me. "What kind of snacks do you have?" I then asked. "All kinds," Sarah told me. "Carrot sticks, apple slices, Triscuits and hummus, chocolate bars..." "Yum," I remarked. "Those all sound good." Sarah and James then set out some snacks on a plate, and we all sat down and helped ourselves. "So, how has your summer been, Angel?" Sarah asked. "It has been very good," I replied. "How was yours? I hear you guys went to Ocean City, Maryland for vacation. Was that fun?" "Yes, it was," James replied. "We sat along the beach and even went swimming." "You guys are lucky," I remarked. "The last time I went on vacation to a beach was in 2010 to Rehoboth Beach, and that's exactly what this summer has been like." "Why is that, Angel?" Sarah asked. "Since every summer month was similar to 2010 in temperature." "I remember that summer," James agreed. "That was the year I graduated from CMU, and I remember it being hot for much of the summer that year, just like this year." "I remember when we all first met each other, Angel," Henri told me. "I know," I agreed. "It seems like it was so long ago." "Sarah, I remember the day that we met, and it was during your parents' wedding at the Natrona Heights Presbyterian Church!" "We came up with some important rules, then," James reminded us, "which were do not interrupt when somebody is speaking, be honest, be flexible, and absolutely no, under any circumstances, hot topics! This includes drugs, sex, and politics." I then took some carrot sticks, apple slices, and dark chocolate. "A few years later, James and I got honored at a special banquet at the same church," Sarah told me. "I know, because I was there." "We didn't have food like what we're having right now," Henri remembered. "We had spaghetti marinara and salad, neither of which I care for." "Don't you like spaghetti with tomato sauce, Henri?" I then asked. "And, that sure is a lot of chocolate you have on your plate!" "I forgot, Angel," Henri then remembered. "I do like spaghetti, just not salad." I looked at what Sarah and James took to eat. They both took apple slices and carrot sticks. "I am trying to lose weight myself, and I will probably have a lot to eat in Uniontown later today," I told my friends. "So, I guess I should be going home now before Mom worries about me," I told my friends. "Bye!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Types of Friendships

The second weekend of September 2016 still felt like summer. I was on my way back to Sarah, James, and Henri's new apartment in Oakland, just as I was getting ready to take a trip straight to the Monroeville Mall there. "It's great to see my good friends again," I happily greeted my friends. "It's great to see you, too, Angel," Sarah told me. "Let's go inside and we can talk some more," James suggested. We then took the elevator to my friends' room. "It's been many years since we were all good friends with each other," I reminded everyone. "Uh-huh," Henri agreed, "and I'm a big boy now." "How exactly would you identify our friendship, Angel?" James asked me. "That's a good question, James," I told him. "We are all good friends to some degree." I then cleared my throat. "I would consider a friend to be a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard, as well as gives assistance and is a supporter. They can also be on good terms with another, and not hostile." I paused for a bit. "And, friendship is a friendly feeling or attitude with kindness or help being given to someone, as well as a state of mutual trust and support." "Very good, Angel," James complimented. "The types of friendships can be acquaintances, like you, Henri, bonded friends, like you, James, and best friends, like you, Sarah," I described to everyone. "Aw, that's very sweet, Angel," Sarah complimented. "What do you guys think would make a good friend?" I asked everybody. "If a friend is honest, not one-sided, and shares similar interests that you do," Henri replied. "If he is an active listener, gives advice, is trustworthy, and doesn't put anybody in danger, like me," James replied. "If she is nice, supportive, and willing to help," Sarah replied. "Let's think of some experiences from our childhood in which this applied to us, like wasn't there a time when you invited me and Angel to a baseball game at your high school, James?" "Yes, I did," James then remembered. "It was a clear and mild April evening my freshman year of high school." "I believe that it was later in my 3rd grade year that we all became best friends," I reminded everyone. "We went from acquaintances to close friends to best friends." "I also remember that same year, we got our first taste of summer in late May, and Sarah did not want to go outside because it was too hot," James stated. "I made plans to help you and Henri sell lemonade, because we all have a shared interest of warm weather," Angel stated. "You like warm weather, too, Angel?" James asked. "I did not know that." "Sarah, even though you were my best friend, I had to respect your opinion about what type of weather you prefer, and if you wanted to sit inside in your fancy sundress doing geography homework attempting to stay cool, that was fine with me!" "Thank you, Angel," Sarah replied. "I like fall best." "Well, I am more of a summer person," James admitted. "Come to think of it, it is still a hot day out today, and it is September 10!" "This reminds me of the other years in a stage like this one," I remarked. "What are you talking about, Angel?" James asked. "2002 was a hot summer in the Pittsburgh area, and that was just prior to our meeting. 2006 was a hot summer, and that was when you graduated high school. 2010 was a hot summer, and that was when we graduated from CMU!" "How do you remember all this stuff, Angel?" Sarah asked me. "I just look this stuff up, that's all," I explained. "Of course, as I stated before, 2010 was the winner!" "Why do you say that, Angel?" Henri asked. "Oh, just based on the number of days we hit 90 degrees and all. Examples include July 23-24 and August 11. This summer was nothing like the years when we were all friends. Now, the 90s years in this stage were a little different- 1992 was abysmally cool, and 1998 was closer to average!" "Okay then," Sarah agreed. "But let me tell you something: I hope this is the last of the sweltering heat for the year in this unusually hot summer I managed to survive." "So, you're not a fan of summer heat, Sarah?" I then asked. "Nope, I look forward to fall weather, the leaves changing color, sunny, crisp mornings, warm cashmere sweaters, and drinking warm apple cider by the fire," she then told me. "I see how people can like things and still be friends with each other," I pointed out. "We couldn't cook anything since it was too hot, and I convinced Sarah to go to a Chinese buffet restaurant with me," James told us. "I didn't feel like going anywhere, so I convinced him to just bring the food here." "Boy was it a nightmare for us to sleep that night," Henri remembered. "It is getting to be that time of year where I don't have to use the air conditioner to sleep anymore." "Speaking of which, would you three like to meet me and my new friends from Pittsburgh at the Monroeville Mall later today, or not?" I asked. "That's okay, Angel," Sarah told me. "We're all busy. But, you go ahead and have fun, okay?" It was about time for me to go wait for my bus. "Okay guys, I will see you later," I told everyone. "Bye!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Meeting People

It finally felt like fall that third weekend of September, and my mom was still away on a trip. I met Sarah, James, and Henri at their apartment in Oakland. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Sarah greeted back. "Can I ask you guys an important question?" I asked. "Sure," James replied. "What is it?" "Have you guys met anybody else new besides each other as kids?" I asked. "Yes, I did, Angel," James replied. "I have lots of friends I met when I was a junior in high school. Actually, just prior to then, when you, Sarah, and I went to the local car dealer in Cheswick the summer I turned 16 years old, I met lots of nice friends who were getting a new car, just like I was." "That's cool," I remarked. "What were their names?" "They were Cindy, Peter, and John." "Cindy, Peter, and John?" I asked myself. "Those sound a lot like _Brady Bunch_ characters. Are you sure they were real people?" "Yes, Angel," James replied. "They were not those same characters." "I met a nice, friendly worker the same day when we went to Pizza Hut," Sarah informed me. "His name was Robert, and he is just 2 years older than I am. He offered to be our server and make James a special birthday cake." "Yum, I remember that delicious birthday cake," James recalled. "It was chocolate." "It seems like a lot of guys like chocolate-flavored desserts, huh?" I asked. "Certainly," James replied. "Anyway, I realized that Robert was the same age as James, and now he is going to be my permanent boyfriend," Sarah informed me. "The day when me, James, and Sarah had to wear all black, I met a kid in my fifth grade class who asked me why I was wearing black, and he was wearing all black clothes, just more casual than the rest of us," Henri narrated. "His name was Thomas, and he always had a thing for black." "I met these people at an event for a specific interest, which was driving," James told me. "I met Robert through his job at Pizza Hut," Sarah told me. "Little did I know he went to the same school as me!" "I met Thomas in my 5th grade class, out of a random interest," Henri told me. "I'm glad that Sarah, James, and I were not the only ones dressed in all black that day!" "I think you guys wanted to express your true style, even if you guys were not performing in a concert or going to a funeral," I explained to them. "We included a greeting, a handshake, our names, how we were related, stating our title, and acknowledging," Sarah explained. "It was all very important stuff to learn, especially when we went out to dinner at a nice restaurant." "And, looking for a good deal on a car!" James added. "Good points, but I wouldn't exactly call Pizza Hut a nice restaurant," I reminded Sarah. "Oh, right," Sarah remembered. "But, still." "Thomas and I found a common interest to start our conversation- the color of the clothes we were wearing!" "He was also the one who taught me to drive a car, along with my dad," James recalled. "I just did not know that he would voluntarily help out with Henri's elementary school." "We also have their phone numbers and e-mail addresses," Henri told me. "But with their permission first, of course!" "So, tell us, Angel," Sarah told me. "Who is the name of a good friend that you have met?" "You see, my dad knows Mr. and Mrs. Homeson from being lawyers in Pittsburgh with them, and they suggested to him that their daughter, Erica, who is the same age as me, help me with growing up and basic life skills, as well as socialization skills," I told my friends. "Erica also has an older sister, Eva, 2 younger sisters, Sophia and Chloe, and 4 best friends: Jessica, Colleen, Garrett, and Jeremy. We met out of common interest, which was growing up and learning new things, which was also an event of interest. My dad met Erica's parents through his job as a lawyer." "Cool," James remarked. "As a matter of fact, Erica will introduce me to some of her good guy friends today before I head to the Monroeville Mall!" "Awesome," Sarah remarked. "Hey, we're going to have dinner at Golden Corral in Monroeville today? Want to join us?" "That's okay," I told them. "I already went there earlier this week, and my potentially new guy friends could take me out to some simple fast food restaurants, like Dunkin' Donuts and KFC." I then saw a bus outside the apartment. "That's my ride," I told my friends. "I gotta go." "Bye, Angel!" Sarah told me. "Have fun!"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Making Plans

The final weekend of September had more fall-like weather in store for us. I took the bus to Sarah, James, and Henri's apartment in Oakland. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Do you have any plans for today?" "Yes, Angel," Sarah replied. "We have plans to go to P.F. Chang's in the Waterfront for dinner," James told me. "I've never been to P.F. Chang's before, James," Henri told his brother. "What's it like?" "It's a Chinese restaurant, with really good food," James explained. "You can come along with us, if you want," Sarah told me. "Um, that's actually something I would like to talk with you about later," I told my friends. "But first, let's go up to your apartment and talk about times when you made plans while you were younger!" "Okay," Sarah agreed. We then took the elevator upstairs to my friends' room. "Let's make ourselves at home," I suggested. "You want to learn about times when we all made plans, Angel?" James asked me. "Yes, I do, James," I replied. "You can go first." "Well, when I was a sophomore in high school, I made plans with a girl in my English class, Betsy Radcliffe, to go to the annual school dance with me." "Oh, right," Sarah stated. "The one that I didn't get asked out to." "I don't think you were asked out in the first place, Sarah," Henri told his sister, "because you were only in middle school at the time. I made plans to join the Boy Scouts team back in 4th grade with a boy in my class named Ralphie." "That night, I just made plans with Angel to come over to our house, watch a movie, and eat pizza together," Sarah remembered. "Now, those are all great ways to make plans," I agreed. "The question is, how did you do them?" "We made specifics about when, where, and what to do," Henri told me. "In this case, how to join the 4th grade Boy Scouts," I pointed out. "We found a common interest or activity, which was, of course, the school dance," James informed, "and made a plan to figure out specifics, such as what we would wear, whose house we would meet at, and who would take us to the dance." "We still have each other's phone numbers, Angel," Sarah reminded me, "and we can both compromise and be flexible." "Uh-huh," I agreed with Sarah. "Especially if the power goes out or the pizza does not come right away." "However, it's not good to keep insisting when someone does NOT show interest, surprise them, avoid commitment, or be vague," James told us. "All of those ways are bad ways to make plans with people." "That reminds me," Sarah told all of us, "when I was taking a history exam, and Nathan Hale, a boy in my class, made plans with me to study and he was taking advantage of me by cheating off of my exam. As a result, my history teacher accused me for cheating, and I didn't even do anything!" "Oh, yeah," Henri remembered. "I remember that, too." "You were having a pretty hard day, Sarah," James also remembered. "I would never do anything like that," I told my friends. "Whenever I get help or help somebody else studying for a test, I never do any of that stuff I am told not to do when I am making plans. I bet Nathan got in trouble for cheating, huh?" "Yes, and lying as well," Sarah told me. "He got detention." "Another question for you guys is: How did you know that all these people wanted to hang out with you?" "Well, Angel, I knew that Betsy wanted to go to the dance with me because of her genuine smile, mirroring my body language, open, expressive arms, leaning forward, and light touches." "The girls always loved you back when you were a sophomore, James," I told him. "And they still love me now, Angel!" "I knew I was not interested in Nathan's plans to study with me when I showed him my facial expression of furrowed brows, as well as body language of crossed arms and legs. As a matter of fact, I just ignored him by walking away and looking at my notes for extended periods of time." "Like I said, Sarah, if somebody is trying to make plans to study with you by just simply taking advantage of you and cheating, you should just try to ignore them, or if you can, report it to the principal!" "I know, Angel," Sarah admitted, "because Nathan told the teacher that I cheated and I got accused for something I did not do because I was doing my own work." "I'm very proud of you, Sarah," I told my friend. "We all are, Angel," James told his younger stepsister. "You got caught in a tough situation, and you stuck up for yourself, AND you passed your history exam!" "You have been a great older stepsister just for doing that, Angel," Henri praised. "Now, what was it you wanted to tell us, Angel?" James asked me. "Do you want to go out to dinner with us, or not?" "No, because I am going to start cooking my own meals now, and you guys should, too!" "I'm sorry, but we really don't have a lot of food to cook, Angel," Sarah told me. "It's just expensive and unhealthy," I informed my friends. "As a matter of fact, my good friend, Erica is making Italian meatball soup for dinner tonight. Would you guys like to come meet me at Erica's apartment so you can try her nutritious, inexpensive recipes?" "Italian meatball soup sounds yummy," Henri stated. "Well, we already have plans to go out to eat tonight, Angel," James told me. "I can make plans for you guys to come have dinner with me and Erica's family some other time, if you guys are interested," I told everyone. "Well, I gotta go now! My mom and I are going to buy groceries so I can learn how to cook, too! "Okay, Angel," Sarah told me. "Bye! Have fun cooking with your mom!"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Small Talk

October 2016 started off on a cool and dreary note in the Pittsburgh area. I took the bus to Sarah, James, and Henri's new apartment in Oakland in the evening rather than the morning, so we could cook dinner together. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my good friends. "Hi, Angel!" Sarah greeted back. "Are you excited about cooking dinner with me tonight?" I asked my friends. "Absolutely, Angel," James agreed. "Let's go inside, though. It's chilly and rainy outside." We then took an elevator upstairs to their room, and even lit up a fireplace. I remembered that Sarah was more of a fall person, while James was more of a summer person. "I love fall," Sarah told me. "It's such a cozy season, with all the leaves changing color, and the crisper, cooler temperatures." "Aw, I miss summer already," James admitted. "So, Golden Corral in Monroeville is one of your favorite places to eat," I began to ask my friends. "What are your top 10 favorite foods to eat there?" "Mmm, I would have to say grilled sirloin steak, carrot cake, pizza, yeast rolls, rotisserie chicken, pot roast, bourbon street chicken, mashed potatoes, meat loaf, and fried chicken," Henri told me. "That sounds yummy," I remarked. "What are your favorite foods, Angel?" James asked. "Yum, I really love yeast rolls, steak fries, pizza, spaghetti, macaroni and cheese, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, chocolate brownies, and ice cream," I told my friends. I paused for a bit. "Hey, why don't we make fried chicken for dinner tonight, since that is something we all love? I have a recipe of Walnut and Rosemary Oven-Fried Chicken I can share with you guys." "Mmm, that's a great idea," Henri agreed. "Do you have any other recipes you could share with me for side dishes?" I asked. "Baby potatoes with arugula pesto," James replied. "Ginger-sesame green bean stir-fry," James replied. "Classic fudge-walnut brownies for dessert," Henri replied. We then began cooking and setting the table for dinner. "I just thought of something that we are all doing, which leads to our topic for the day," I informed everyone. "What's that, Angel?" Sarah asked. "Small talk," I replied. "Small talk?" Sarah asked. "That's sort of like conversational skills, Sarah," James explained. "Oh, I see," Sarah stated. "We are talking about our favorite foods to cook and eat for dinner." "This could be a good topic for small talk if we approach other customers at Golden Corral, like when we see they have foods we like or we can ask them what type of foods they like," I told my friends. I paused again. "Hey, I have another idea," I told my friends. "When we sit down to eat dinner, we could discuss some events from our childhood where small talk was required." "That's a great idea, Angel," Sarah agreed. We then set out all the food buffet-style, just like Golden Corral, and helped ourselves. "Well, to begin the conversation on sort of a negative note, do you remember Molly Corbin's Sweet 16 party that Angel and I were not invited to, James?" Sarah asked. "Yes, I do, Sarah," James replied. "On a more positive note, I ended up making small talk with the hostess, and there were a lot of guests that Angel and I didn't know who I tried to make small talk with," Sarah told us. "It was pretty uncomfortable since I didn't know anybody." "What all did you talk about?" I asked. "The music being played and the food we ate," James replied. "I liked talking about the songs and the party food, as well," Sarah agreed. "Of course, the conversation did not go so well since you eventually caught us after the party was over." "I remember the first Halloween I handed out candy to younger kids, and I tried to find teenagers who still go trick-or-treating," James mentioned. "I made small talk about how they like trick-or-treating with other kids, their costumes, and their favorite candy." "Yeah, I made small talk with a 6-year-old boy who was dressed up as a Power Ranger, like I was," Henri agreed. "It went well because more kids came back for candy, especially my favorite, candy corn, and I felt confident talking to the little kids," James mentioned. "I like Kit-Kat Bars," I replied, biting into my potatoes. "Here we go again! More small talk." "Who's ready for dessert?" Henri asked. I licked my lips for the delicious brownies Henri made. "When we made small talk with others, we asked open-ended questions," Sarah told me. "Like I asked Molly how it feels to be 16 years old, and she asked me what my favorite type of pizza was, and I told her I liked cheese pizza." "We also needed to stay on topic, use theory of mind, ask relevant questions, respect personal space, be aware of and control our volume, be benevolent, share the conversational pie, make relevant rather than insulting jokes, and mix it up," James told us. "Like when I was handing out candy to everyone, and even at Molly's birthday party, I had to be careful with how I used small talk, so people could continue to talk to me." "What were some things you could NOT do with small talk?" Henri asked. "Well, we couldn't ask closed or binary questions, make irrelevant or insulting jokes, be a broken record or a critic, get too loud or off topic, use non sequiturs, stand too close, be a conversation hog, or get too involved in our own interests," Sarah explained. "I got too involved in my own interests with finding another kid who was dressed up as a Power Ranger, like I was," Henri admitted, "and that was not good." "I definitely couldn't get too aggressive at Molly's birthday party, since there were more people closer to James's age than my age," Sarah remembered. "That gives me an idea!" I exclaimed. "Since Halloween is coming up, why don't we throw a party and I can invite some more of my best friends?" "Sure, that would be fun," Sarah agreed. "And since my mom doesn't want me taking the bus in the dark, can you do me a favor and drive me back home to my mom's apartment?" I asked James. "I sure can, Angel," James agreed. "Thanks for cooking dinner for us, Angel!" Henri thanked. "Yes, it was really good," Sarah agreed. "Bye, everyone!" I told my friends. "Thanks for a great day!"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Maintaining Friendships

It was another cool and cloudy Saturday in October when I took a bus to Sarah, James, and Henri's apartment in Oakland. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Sarah greeted me. "Would you like something to drink, Angel?" James offered. "Sure," I replied. "May I have a glass of juice, please?" "Okay," James replied. "One glass of juice coming right up." "Did you eat breakfast yet, Angel?" Sarah asked me. "Yes, I did," I replied. "I had a blueberry muffin." I paused. "Speaking of which, do you know what we are all doing right now, guys?" "What are we doing, Angel?" Henri asked me. "We are maintaining our friendships by offering each other breakfast to eat and other beverages to drink," I explained to everybody. "And, that leads to our topic of the day... maintaining friendships!" "Maintaining friendships?" James asked. "How do we do that?" Sarah asked. "I know," I told my friends. "We could look at moments from our childhood in which we maintained friendships." "All rightie then," James agreed. "Well, I wanted to maintain a friendship with a girl who was a year younger than me named Sybil Ludington, and I stay connected by e-mailing her and talking to her on the phone. However, she goes to college in upstate New York, which is a long distance away from Pittsburgh." "You like a lot of girls, don't you, James?" I asked him. "Actually, all the girls like me, remember?" James asked. "Oh yeah, the day when you were pretending to be sick on Picture Day, and I helped you get out of it," I reminded him. "And I helped you that same day, Sarah, remember?" Henri asked. "Uh-huh," Sarah remembered. "I was having just as hard of a time as James was." "You know, there is more to friendship than just looks," I reminded everyone. "After your friends leave for good, some good ways to maintain these friendships you had were communicating, using "you" statements, being flexible and understanding, inviting people to hang out in person if in our area, focusing on shared experiences, remembering similarities, taking advantage of big events, being supportive and reciprocal, and knowing when to let go." "You're right, Angel," Sarah agreed. "That reminds me: I maintained my friendship with Benedict from my class on Picture Day by having not just Henri, but him, help me out, as well. Despite the fact that he got suspended from school due to alcohol, he was still reliable when it came to how to look good for a school picture." "I still feel very sorry about Benedict's drug problems, Sarah," Henri sympathized. "He doesn't live far away. I just don't get to see him often," Sarah then explained. "We have run into a lot of challenges with staying connected with our old friends, but we have handled them," James told me. "My first roommate, Roseanne, moved into a new apartment during my sophomore year at Carnegie Mellon University," Sarah then explained to me. "Hey, she was one of the girls I wanted to impress on School Picture Day!" James pointed out. "We still hung out together on the weekends, and communicated to each other about schoolwork during our classes," Sarah explained some more. "You see, Roseanne was a senior and I was a sophomore." "She was one of the girls who went to school with me, just like Sybil Ludington," James told us. "Some bad ways to maintain friendships include forcing a friendship, having unrealistic expectations, judging them if they change, focusing on the differences, relying on texts and Facebook for communication, assuming and expecting them to communicate, and ignoring big events." "I'm sure none of the girls at your high school judge you by your looks anymore, James," I told my friend. "No, they don't, Angel," James replied. "Sarah, you don't think Benedict Arnold is a bad person just because he is an alcoholic, do you?" I then asked my best friend. "No, I definitely do not, Angel," Sarah replied. "I still talk to him sometimes on the phone." "Speaking of which, do you want to see all my school pictures from high school?" I asked my friends. "Sure," Sarah replied. I then showed my friends school photos from my freshman year, sophomore year, junior year, and senior year. "Nice pictures, Angel," Sarah remarked. "Do you want to join us for lunch?" James asked. "No thanks," I told James. "I am going to join Erica and her younger sister, Sophia for lunch," I explained. "However, I maintain my friendships with you guys at the same time by working around their schedule!" I then thought for a moment. "Hey Sarah, can Erica join us for a little trip next Saturday night?" I then asked. "Absolutely, Angel," Sarah replied. "Where would you like to go?" "How about to the comic book store on Craig Street and frozen yogurt for dessert afterward?" I then asked. "Well, Henri and I can go to the comic book store," James planned out. "We can also go out to Little Asia for dinner, if you want, Sarah," I told my best friend. "Mmm, that sounds yummy!" Sarah agreed. "Next Saturday at 7:00 pm, it is!" A bus then showed outside the apartment. "I gotta go back to Highland Park, everybody!" I told my friends. "See you later!" "Bye, Angel," Sarah told me. "Have fun with Erica!"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: A Girls' Night Out

The following Saturday night, my best friend, Erica Homeson and I met Sarah, James, and Henri on Craig Street in Oakland. First, we went to the comic book store, so James and Henri could look at comic books. "Hi, guys," I greeted my male friends. "How was the football game today?" "Great, Angel," Henri replied. "Now, we want to look at comic books about football, if we can find any," James informed me. He then found a comic book. "Ah, one of my favorites!" he exclaimed. " _Archie and the Big Game_!" "You always used to love football as a kid," I then told my friends. "Yeah, especially the day I baby-sat Henri," James told me. "We couldn't get tickets to go to a big football game, so we ended up making our own game of football in the backyard." "Sounds great!" I then replied. "Sarah and I are going out to eat with my other best friend, Erica Homeson, so I guess we better get going now." I then waved good-bye to James and Henri, and then went out with Sarah and Erica to Little Asia for dinner first. "So, you must be Erica Homeson, Angel's best friend from Highland Park," Sarah pointed out. "And, you must be Sarah Phillips, Angel's childhood best friend from around here," Erica pointed out back. "You know what? I am actually more in the mood for Mexican food tonight than Chinese, so can I join you guys for dessert?" "Okay, Erica," I then told my friend. "You can join Sarah and me at Razzle's Frozen Yogurt for dessert." Erica then went to a Mexican restaurant to get a rice bowl, while Sarah and I stopped at Little Asia. I ate a chicken and broccoli rice bowl, while Sarah got a plate of Chinese chicken over steamed brown rice. "Ah, another just-us girl moment," I happily stated. "Just like when you braided my hair and painted my fingernails one marvelous evening." "Yes," Sarah remembered. "As a matter of fact, you are wearing your exact same outfit from that day: your pink butterfly shirt, your black pants and flats, and your hair is even curled!" Sarah then looked down. "Hey, this is what I wore," Sarah remembered. "I miss LuLu's Noodles," I told my friend. "That restaurant was cited for unsafe procedures for handling food, including mice and flies in their food." "I know," Sarah agreed. "I used to love their food, too." "Still, this is very good Chinese food," I told my friend. "Little Asia really has good chicken and rice," Sarah told me. We then continued to eat. "Hey, let's go find Erica, and get some frozen yogurt, shall we?" We then got up and Erica found us standing outside the restaurant. We then went to Razzle's Frozen Yogurt across the street. I picked out a bowl of vanilla frozen yogurt with all my favorite toppings: pineapple, blueberries, strawberries, grapes, rainbow sprinkles, even Oreo cookies! Erica got twist frozen yogurt with caramel apple syrup and pecans. Sarah had vanilla frozen yogurt with caramel apple syrup, as well. "Does Angel always get this many toppings on her frozen yogurt?" Erica asked Sarah. "Yes, because she loves all those foods very much," Sarah told Erica. "Don't you, Angel?" "Yes, I do, Sarah," Angel replied. "I don't think it's very healthy, though," Sarah admitted. "But, I won't tell Angel what to do since she is a nice girl and she loves all those foods very much!" "I think Erica should get together and do makeovers with me sometime," I told Sarah. "That's okay, Angel," Erica told me. "I am not really that much into makeovers." "Angel also has 2 other friends whom she likes to hang out with," Sarah explained to Erica. "Carly Shay and Alex Russo." "How old are they?" Erica asked. "Carly is 22 and Alex is 23," I then explained to Erica. "They're probably the same age as my other good friends who Angel also likes: Jessica, Garrett, Colleen, and Jeremy." "Angel was telling me about your friends, too," Sarah then remembered. She then took a bite of her frozen yogurt. "Mmm, this is really good!" "I am not a big fan of caramel apple syrup," I told my friends. "But if you girls like it, that's fine!" I then yawned. "I guess it's time for us to get home and to bed, huh, Erica?" I then asked my friend. "Yeah, we should," Erica agreed. "Bye, Sarah!" I then told my friend. "It was nice meeting you," Erica stated. "Bye, girls!" Sarah replied. "Good night!"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Group Interactions

It was a cold and wet Friday evening in October when I met Sarah, James, and Henri at their apartment in Oakland. I met them on Friday rather than Saturday this week due to family obligations at my dad's house in Natrona Heights. Right after I came back from Monroeville Mall, I met Sarah, James, and Henri when they were getting off a bus from the Waterfront. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "What did you guys go to the Waterfront for?" "We were shopping at Target for stuff for our Halloween party next Sunday night," James told me. "Did you guys eat dinner yet?" I asked my friends. "Not yet," Henri answered. "Well, would you guys like to cook with me?" I then offered my friends. "That was the plan, Angel," Sarah told me. "We are going to cook our own Chinese food rather than go to P.F. Chang's because it's cheaper and we want to work on a budget, just like you." "Can we also bake brownies?" Henri asked. "That is my number-one favorite dessert." "That's funny, Henri," I told him. "When we were friends, I always used to love to bake brownies, too." "That's cool, Angel," James remarked. "My favorite Chinese food is sweet and sour chicken, so we will cook that tonight." We then went up to the kitchen to get dinner started. "There are times when group interactions are very important, such as what to make for dinner," I explained to my friends, "and there were also moments from our childhood in which group interaction was required." "Was my 15th birthday celebration an example?" Sarah asked. "Absolutely, Sarah," I then replied. "Henri and I had to work on lots of different things for a family celebration with her, such as the birthday cake and all her presents," James then remembered. "Not to mention all the photos from her childhood," Henri then brought up. He then brought out a photo of Sarah when she was younger. Sarah then turned away. "You did that the day of your party too, huh, Sarah?" I then asked my friend. "Got embarrassed?" I then looked at the present I got her. "I see you are wearing your personalized charm bracelet that spells out your name," I noticed. "You got that for me, remember?" Sarah asked. "That's because you're my best friend in the whole wide world," I then told my friend. "Aw, thanks!" Sarah gushed. "I like interacting with groups when they know they are going to do nice things for me on my special day." "Well, your birthday was a lucky day, Sarah," James reminded Sarah. "It was not a lucky day when my good boyfriend, Benedict got suspended from drinking too much alcohol with a group of rowdy 8th graders, though," Sarah then remembered. "Besides Benedict, I did not know any of the other drinkers. The only way I almost joined in was Benedict offering me a can of beer, and it wasn't even light beer! That was the hardest part about joining in- being forced to do something that I was not comfortable doing!" "I can tell that you were having a very hard day, Sarah," I then comforted my friend. I then turned to James. "At least you were able to cheer me up when Sarah wanted to be left alone," I then reminded him. "Yeah, I could totally understand how you were both feeling," James agreed. "Sarah was upset because her boyfriend got suspended from school and she did not feel like talking to anybody, and you were upset because Sarah did not want to talk to you, so I was there to comfort you both!" "We're friends, Sarah," I then mentioned to Sarah. "Why didn't you want to talk to me?" "Because it was a shocking and scary situation," Sarah reminded me. "So, I could talk and hang out with Friend Number 2 when Friend Number 1 was in a bad mood," I then realized. "Let me guess... is Friend Number 2 me?" James asked. "Yes, James," I told him. "It's you." "Why thank you, Angel!" James praised. "The positive group interactions for Sarah's birthday celebration included positive self-talk, looking for an "open" group by body language, active listening, asking questions, ending positively 'nice talking to you', and friendly demeanors," James told us. "And that was what made my birthday celebration special," Sarah then remembered. "However, Benedict's group was being offensive, focusing on negatives, joining unopen groups, bringing up hot topics, talking negatively to themselves before hand, overestimating the potential consequences of failure, and being conversation ninjas." "You're right, Sarah," I then pointed out. "Now, let's just forget about Benedict and his group, shall we?" "Okay then," Sarah agreed. "Since he basically is not in our lives anymore!" Dinner was then ready, and James served us sweet and sour chicken, while Henri served his favorite dessert- classic fudge-walnut brownies. "Did you cook any of our recipes on your own yet?" Sarah then asked. "Yes, your green bean stir-fry on Tuesday, and James's baby potatoes on Sunday," I then replied. "You were so right about budgeting," Sarah remembered. "And, this sweet and sour chicken is so much healthier than P.F. Chang's version!" James stated. "I also can't wait for the Halloween party next Sunday night, and some of my other friends whom you might know will also be there, like Carly Shay and her family, and Alex Russo and her friends!" "I can watch Carly and Alex, if you want," Sarah volunteered. "Absolutely, Sarah!" I then agreed. "We can even stick together as an all-girl group." James also offered to drive me home, since it was dark out that evening. "Are you having another bad day today, Sarah?" I then asked. "No, Angel," Sarah replied. "I just don't drive right now." "Bye, everyone!" I then told my friends. "Thanks for a great dinner and evening!" "You're welcome, Angel," Sarah replied. "Good night! See you next week!"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Planning our Halloween Party

The Saturday before Halloween, I met Sarah, James, and Henri at their apartment in Oakland around lunchtime, so we could plan our Halloween party for Sunday night. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Sarah greeted back. "Are you excited for the Halloween party tomorrow night?" James asked me. "Of course I am, James," I replied back. "What are you going to be for Halloween?" "I am going to be the main conscience from _Star Trek_ ," James announced. "I want to dress up as Black Widow from _The Avengers_ ," Sarah told everyone. "And, I am going to be a space warrior from _Star Wars_ ," Henri announced. "And, I am going to be a Greek goddess," I then announced to my friends. James then showed us some decorations that he bought at Target last weekend, including a Trick-or-Treat banner and plastic spiders. "Nice decorations, James," Sarah remarked. "Thanks, Sarah," James replied. "I believe in recycling and saving the Earth." "It figures," I told my best friend. "I felt terrible for you when you got a D on your Earth Day project for school." "Me too," James agreed. "Especially considering that I got an A." We then thought about what types of snacks and drinks to have at the party while looking in their cabinets. "We have whale-shaped cheddar crackers, multicolored tortilla chips, pumpkin danish, ginger ale, grapefruit-flavored water, and my personal favorite autumn drink... apple cider!" Sarah noticed. "What about activities, guys?" Henri asked. "I was thinking we could watch a Halloween movie on Netflix, like _Night of the Living Dead_ ," James suggested, "although I would like to throw a really awesome party like what I threw when I came home from my high school summer ski trip." "I remember your house party was awesome, James," I reminded him. "Totally," Henri agreed. "Can we play board games?" Sarah asked. "I was thinking I could be the party DJ and make a playlist of my favorite songs, like I did at my party," James asked. "Can you put Halloween music on since it's Halloween, though?" I asked. "Absolutely," James agreed. "We could even have a dance floor with lights and a disco ball." "No offense, but I think this apartment is too small to have a Halloween party, James," Sarah pointed out. "So, can we take a drive to the Pittsburgh Glass Center in East Liberty and ask permission if we can have our party there?" "Good point, Sarah," James agreed. "We can go to the Pittsburgh Glass Center conference room and throw our Halloween party." "I have some ideas of fun games we could play at the party, too," Sarah stated. "I don't think I ever remember playing games at my house party," James argued. "Yes, but that was when you were 16 years old, James," Sarah argued back. "You're 28 years old now, and you need to change the way you throw parties." "Okay guys, let's not argue, shall we?" I asked. "Sorry, Angel," Sarah apologized. "Can you remember what your job is at the party?" I asked. "Of course, looking after you and your friends," Sarah remembered. "Come on Sarah, let's think of some games that Carly and Alex might like to play!" I suggested. "Hmm... I have Scrabble," Sarah stated, pulling out her Scrabble game. "Would they like to play that?" "Sure, I can ask them," I replied. "Or, how about Bananagrams?" James asked. "My personal favorite board game." "That's a good game, too," I agreed with James, "but I am much better at Scrabble." "Do you think we can teach Carly and Alex how to play Scrabble, Sarah?" I asked my best friend. "Sure," Sarah agreed. "I can't wait to see them at our party." "I could show them the way to the Pittsburgh Glass Center from Oakland," I then suggested, "while you set everything up at the Glass Center." I then saw a bus outside the apartment. "I gotta go back to Highland Park so I can spend some Halloween time with Erica and her sisters," I informed my friends. "Okay, bye, Angel!" Sarah remarked. "Have a happy Halloween!"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Reciprocity

On a sunny Saturday morning in early November, I returned to Sarah, James, and Henri's apartment in Oakland. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Sarah greeted me back. "How was your week?" "It was fun," I replied. "I especially enjoyed Erica's younger sister, Sophia's birthday party at Zone28 yesterday afternoon." "Oh boy!" Henri exclaimed. "Another party!" "Wasn't the Halloween party fun, though?" James asked. "Yes, it was a blast, James!" I exclaimed. "It was just as awesome as your end-of-summer house party that you threw as a teenager." "I really enjoyed playing games with you, Carly, and Alex," Sarah told me. "Come to think of it, I really want to spend some more time with those girls in the coming weeks, because they seem very nice." "I know," I agreed with Sarah. "I was just telling Alex how we should meet for some more fun events this fall when she dropped me off." "What did she say?" Sarah asked. "She said that we'll see about that," I replied. "We could invite the Shays over for Trivia Night at Hough's in Greenfield on November 26," James suggested. "I think Mrs. Shay is a very responsible mother to Carly." "And, my birthday is at the end of the month," Sarah reminded everybody. "I was thinking we could invite Alex and her guy friends over for lunch at Denuzio's in Monroeville on the following Sunday afternoon." "That would be a great idea, Sarah!" I agreed. "As a matter of fact, this leads us to our topic of the day... reciprocity!" "Well, since you're talking about special events like parties, that reminds me of something that I can easily remember as a teenager," James told me. "What's that, James?" I asked. "When I drove you around Natrona Heights on your birthday, despite the fact that it was a cold and yucky April day outside," James replied. "Oh, yeah," I happily remembered. "Sarah and Henri threw me a surprise party with all my favorite things: Pizza Hut pizza, Dairy Queen ice cream cake, and lots of amazing presents. And just think, I thought it was going to be my worst birthday ever!" "We were just trying to make your birthday special for you, Angel," Sarah reminded me. "None of us would ever forget your birthday." "I would never forget any of you guys' birthdays, either," I told my friends. "Of course, your birthday is at the end of the month, Sarah, and we might possibly have a birthday lunch in Monroeville and invite Alex and her guy friends, Justin and Max over! Also, James's birthday is June 15, and Henri's birthday is March 24!" "Since I did something nice for you, Angel, did you do anything nice for me back?" James asked me. "Of course, James," I replied. "Sarah and I attended your high school graduation ceremony, because we wanted to congratulate you on your special achievement of finishing high school!" "I wasn't there because I was too young to attend," Henri then remembered. "I believe in reciprocity, Angel," James told me. "It's an important quality needed from most friendships, such as my relationship with my friends and siblings, Angel, Sarah, and Henri." "Especially when it came to Angel's birthday celebration and your high school graduation ceremony," Sarah added. "Do you guys know about the Friendship Bank?" James asked us. "No, James," Henri replied. "What's the Friendship Bank?" "Well, Henri, it is my personal favorite way of conceptualizing reciprocity in friendship," James taught us. "First, let's discuss some basic banking terms that you might already know: depositing (putting money into a bank account), withdrawing (removing money from a bank account), overdrawing (withdrawing more money from an account that is available), and surplus (an amount of money that is more than is needed)." "What exactly does this have to do with friendship, James?" Sarah asked. "I was just getting there, Sarah," James continued. "When we deposit, we put time, effort, emotion, and resources into a friendship account. When we withdraw, we do the opposite: we remove time, effort, emotion, and resources from our friendship account. However, when we overdraw, we withdraw more from the friendship account than is available, and a surplus is a balance in our friendship account that is more than needed." "Okay then," Sarah agreed. "I get it now." "Being the oldest of the group, I believe in creating a surplus, meaning that I give as much as I take," James reminded us. "This includes favors, spending time together, making an effort to reach out, being understanding if you guys cannot make plans, being there if you need me, doing things without being asked once in a while, actively listening, communicating my needs, keeping plans, and remembering important dates and interests." "Exactly what a big brother should do," Sarah agreed. "Yeah," Henri chimed in. "However, I don't want to get to the point where I overdraw, meaning that I take more than I give," James continued. "This includes making plans without checking in, taking advantage of your kindness, demanding you guys spend time with me all of the time, being forceful and not understanding, ignoring you guys, filibustering or hogging the conversation pie, hiding my feelings, and cancelling plans all the time." Then, James also told us a story of what happened between him and one of his best friends, Alexander after high school graduation, and how they would each maintain "reciprocity" with each other. Sarah, Henri, and I gave out our own suggestions. "Definitely reach out and invite Alexander to do something together," I suggested. "Possibly pay for his round of mini golf or lunch or movie," Henri then suggested. "Possibly get a small gift of something that he is into," Sarah then suggested. "I also considered owning up to his distance and apologizing," James told us. He then took a deep breath. "You guys are all so special to me, because you are the best younger friends a young man could ever have," James told us. "Angel, Sarah, Henri, I don't know what I would do without you three!" "And, we would not know what we would do without you, either, James," Sarah then agreed. "Just think about it, you were nice to me by keeping me happy on my birthday. If it weren't for you, James, then I would be stuck at my house moping around on my birthday with nothing to do." "I would never let that happen to you, Angel," James told me. "And since you were being so nice to me, Sarah and I were being nice to you back by supporting you at your high school graduation ceremony." "I was able to remember all the skills of being an upperclassman that you taught me when I was an underclassman in high school, James," Sarah pointed out. "Well, this has been a very nice day, but I better get going," I told my friends. "I don't want to leave Erica and Sophia waiting for me. We might go to Monroeville Mall and celebrate Sophia's birthday some more." "Okay, Angel," Sarah replied. "Bye! Have a good time!"


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Dating Stories

Part 1: Liberty's Kids and iCarly

On a cold Saturday in November, I went to Sarah, James, and Henri's apartment in Oakland for lunch. One of my other best friends, Carly Shay, along with her parents, Sam and Freddie, were going to join us, as well as James's old girlfriend from his freshman year of high school named Phyllis. We were going to cook cobb salad, since that was Sarah's favorite lunch, and we also cooked it as we planned our Halloween party 2 weekends ago. "Angel, Carly, Mrs. Shay and Mr. Benson, and Phyllis, I am so glad that you all could join us this afternoon," James greeted us. "Come on in and take a seat," Sarah happily offered. We all then went in and take a seat. "Carly, first I want to tell you about James's theory of reciprocity and the Friendship Bank," I told my friend. "What is his theory?" Carly's mom asked us. "We want to know." "Well, Mrs. Shay," James stated, "when you are friends with a person and you do favors for each other, that is depositing into the friendship account. "When you miss out on things and do NOT spend time with your friend, you are withdrawing from your account," Sarah explained. "Get that, Carly?" Carly nodded her head yes. "Of course I do, Sarah," Carly replied. "But, if you have a surplus of deposits, it is okay to withdraw occasionally," Henri added. "However, you must be careful not to overdraw, meaning to take out more than you have put in," Mr. Benson then chimed in. "Mr. Benson, how did you know all that stuff so soon?" Henri asked in an amazed tone of voice. "I know all about the Friendship Bank, too, Henri," Mr. Benson then admitted. "This was exactly the case when I started to date Sam!" "It was the same situation for me when I began to temporarily date my girlfriend, Phyllis back in 9th grade," James then informed us. Phyllis then told us her conceptualization of reciprocity. "I realized I loved everyone at either a 10 or a 0. However, not everyone also feels that. So, when boys love me as a 2, and I am giving a 10, that makes people feel uncomfortable. So, I wrote the names of my boyfriends down, and wrote a number next to 0-10 on how they rated me. I then did an experience in which I saw how long it took each of my friends to reach out to me and adjusted the numbers based on this. Next I made a task list for when to check on each of them based on their rating of me, and then randomized it." "That was a pretty amazing story, Phyllis!" Carly remarked. "Thank you, Carly," Phyllis replied. "I have dated a lot of girls over the years in high school," James informed all of us, "but, I think that the most important quality I look for in someone that I want to date is if she treats me, as well as my family and friendships with respect." He then turned to Phyllis. "You do just that, Phyllis," he remarked. "Thanks a lot, James!" Phyllis replied back. James and Phyllis then hugged. "Mrs. Shay, how do you know if your husband is romantically interested in you?" James then asked Mrs. Shay. "Good question, James," Sam then replied. "Freddie would tell me if he thinks that he is showing either interest or disinterest for me." We then ate our cobb salad for lunch. "Do any of you guys have any other important points about dating?" I then asked all of my friends. "Because I still don't date anybody yet, even though I am just about the same age as Henri." "Sure, Angel," Sarah then replied. "I think asking for a phone number is high risk. You should go for Facebook since it is less risky. If I did get the person's number, I would text the person rather than call right away. Asking for a number in front of my friends is also high pressure. But, the best thing for me to do is ask them if they want to hang out and communicate more, as well as let them tell me how they want to communicate, whether it be Facebook, texting, or calling." "I wouldn't make assumptions about the new person based on the last person," Henri then told all of us. "The only type of dating I had as a freshman in high school was online dating," Carly then informed all of us. "I wonder if that makes it easier or harder to tell if someone is interested. Some things that I could think about are taking words literally, how long a person takes to text back, and if a person is online dating, a person is searching for someone to date already so I have a higher chance that they are interested." I could totally understand Carly's situation with dating, as well. Finally, it was Mr. Benson's turn. "I would write down my ideas and feelings about a person or situation to see them more concretely and evaluate if those traits are in line with what I am actually looking for in a person," Mr. Benson then stated. "Now, those were all good ideas for my first time dating somebody," I then happily told everybody. "Sarah, can you and Angel teach me how to cook some more?" Carly then asked. "Sure," Sarah replied. "Come over to the kitchen with us." We then went to the kitchen and Carly got to pick a recipe from the cookbook. She ended up picking James's baby potatoes with arugula pesto, and then we ended up cooking that. After that, it was about time for me to go to a birthday party for one of my friends in Monroeville. "Bye, everyone!" I told my friends as I left Oakland. "Thanks for all the great advice about dating!"

Part 2: Liberty's Kids and Wizards of Waverly Place

The next morning, I met Sarah, James, and Henri at their apartment in Oakland for breakfast, only this time, some of my other friends, Alex, Justin, and Max were joining us, as well as one of Sarah's old boyfriends, Benedict. We were going to make pancakes and leftover bacon from Saturday's breakfast for everybody to eat. "I think we should tell Alex, Justin, and Max what we told Carly and her parents about dating," I then suggested. "Uh-huh," Alex then agreed. "Especially since Justin and I were dating a couple of times." "I remember when we went to our senior prom together," Justin told us. He then showed everyone a prom picture of me and Alex. "I missed my senior prom," Benedict told everybody. "Why didn't you get to go to prom, Benedict?" Max then asked. "I was suspended for drinking alcohol." As a matter of fact, he was drinking beer and then got a can of beer for all of us to drink. "He even drinks beer for breakfast," Sarah then told us. "Isn't that absurd?" "Yes, Sarah," I then replied. "I agree with Angel," Alex then chimed in. "It is very absurd." "Guys, I want to tell you my theory about reciprocity and the friendship bank," James informed us. He then cleared his throat. "When you are friends with a person and you do favors for each other, that is depositing into the friendship account." "Yes, but when you miss out on things or do not spend time with your friend, you are withdrawing from your account," Justin added. "Good point, Justin," James remarked. "I was just getting there." "If you have a surplus of deposits, it is okay to withdraw occasionally, right?" Henri then asked. "Right, Henri," James replied. "It is." "But Henri," Max then informed him, "you should be careful to NOT overdraw, meaning to take out more than you have put in." "Good job, guys!" James then praised all of us. "That exactly sums up all the points of the theory about reciprocity and the friendship bank!" Benedict then told his story about his conceptualization of reciprocity. It was exactly the same as Phyllis's from yesterday. "I realized I loved everyone at either a 10 or a 0. Not everyone also feels that, though. So, when girls love me as a 2, and I am giving a 10, that makes them uncomfortable. So, I wrote the names of my girlfriends down, and wrote a number next to them between 0-10 on how they rated me. I then did an experience in which I saw how long it took each of my girlfriends to reach out to me and adjusted the numbers based on this. Next, I made a check list for when to check on each of them based on their rating of me, and then randomized it." "That was a very interesting story, Benedict!" Alex remarked. "Thank you, Alex," Benedict then replied. "Since I turned 13, I have dated a lot of different boys since then," Sarah told all of us, "but I believe that the most important quality I look for in someone that I want to date is if he treats me, as well as my family and friendships with respect." "I am very sorry if I did not respect you with my poor decisions as a teenager, Sarah," Benedict admitted. "That's okay, Benedict," Sarah remarked. We then sat down at the table to eat pancakes and bacon. Sarah and Benedict then hugged. "Alex, how do you know if one of your two guy friends is romantically interested in you?" Sarah then asked Alex. "Let me think about it for a minute, Sarah," Alex then replied. Alex then thought for a minute and answered. "Justin or Max would tell me if they think someone is showing interest or disinterest." Then, the boys chimed in with their main points on dating. "I believe that asking for a phone number is high risk," James informed us. "I would go for Facebook, since it is less risky. If I did get their number, I would text them rather than call them right away. Asking for a number in front of my friends is also high pressure. However, the best thing for me to do is ask them if they want to hang out and communicate more, and let them tell me how they want to communicate, whether it be Facebook, texting, or calling." Henri then repeated that he would not make assumptions about the new person based on the last person. "I have had some experience with online dating prior to meeting Alex," Justin told all of us. "I am still not sure if it would be easier or harder to tell if someone is interested, though. I need to think about taking words literally, how long someone takes to text back, and if they are online dating, they are searching for someone to date already so I have a higher chance that they are interested." "Wow, I had experience with online dating as a teenager too, Justin," Max then told his best friend. "Only, I would write down my ideas and feelings about a person or situation to see them more concretely and to evaluate if those traits are in line with what you are actually looking for in a person." "Well, it was nice talking about dating with you all this weekend," I then told my friends, "but I guess I better go back to Mom's apartment now since my Community Inclusion worker will meet me anytime. We are going to visit Bloomfield today. Bye, everybody!" "Bye, Angel!" Sarah then replied. "Have a good rest of the day!"


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Conflict Resolution

Part 1: James's Point of View

It was a very cold and rainy Saturday in mid-November. I was having a bad day, as my TV and Internet were not working properly. I went to Sarah, James, and Henri's apartment in Oakland, so I could get help and advice from them. Little did I know that James was sitting alone and pouting. "What's wrong, James?" I asked my male friend. "It's nasty outside, and I don't know how to do anything," James then explained to me. "What exactly do you mean?" I asked him. "By the way, shouldn't you be getting excited about Thanksgiving break?" "I wish I knew my way to go to the places I would like to go, like the Petersen Events Center and Games n' At," James then explained to me. "So, I am afraid that I can't take you to these places until I know exactly where I am going!" "You bought us those tickets, James," I reminded him. "I'll give you something to drink, and we can talk about it some more," James offered. "What would you like to drink?" "Juice, please," I replied. James then called Sarah and Henri in and then poured us each a glass of juice. "What's the matter, James?" Sarah asked. "Yeah, are you going to be able to take us places this week or not?" Henri then asked. "Yes, but I just need to get my act together and figure out where we are going already," James explained to us. "This leads to our topic of the day- conflict resolution!" I happily announced. "Come on, Angel," James stubbornly resisted. "Now is not the time." "I'm serious, James," I then told him. "I'm sure you've dealt with conflict resolution at least once during your childhood." "Actually, yes," James remembered. "I wanted to learn how to juggle, but then everybody kept making fun of me because it took a while for me to learn how to. I feel very uncomfortable with conflict because things are not very smooth-sailing. I know when you guys are upset with me when I don't try, when I am unreliable, or when I am just plain old lazy. I respond by vowing to become a better, more reliable person and learn from my mistakes." "And, we all can make things right with you when you are upset with us," Sarah then chimed in, "by helping you to become better at a certain skill." "Why don't you show us how you can juggle right now?" Henri then asked. "Okay," James replied. He then brought in a couple of balls, and tried tossing them back and forth, but then had problems, at first. Every time he tried to toss the balls up in the air, they always fell on the floor. "Come on, James," I then encouraged Angel. "You can do it!" He then tossed all the balls in the air, and then caught them all at once. Sarah, Henri, and I then applauded. "This was just like when I learned how to juggle as a teenager," James then explained to us. "Any time I try to resolve a conflict, I remain calm, take a break, express feelings in words rather than actions, meaning that I am direct and honest, and use "I" statements to reflect feelings, am specific about what is bothering me, deal with one issue at a time, keep ego, entitlement, and expectations out of the argument, listen, encourage others to share, validate their concerns, and look at the big picture." "We are very proud of you for that, James," I then told him. "Yes, James," Sarah then agreed. "We are." "However, I don't hit below the belt, meaning that I attack the things that really hurt the other person, with certainly no "low blows", accuse people, jump to conclusions without gathering facts by assuming the worse, generalize, stockpile, clam up, meaning I get quiet or avoid, or name call," James then reminded us. "That's good, James, because you won't learn anything that way," I then notified him. "I suggest you at least go to Google Maps so you can find directions to the Petersen Events Center and to Games n' At," Sarah then suggested. James then went online to look at Google Maps and then googled directions for places he wanted to go. Little did he know that they were not that far away from the apartment! Of course, why would James buy us tickets for a Tuesday night basketball game if he did not know where he was going in the first place? "Okay, we are all set," James announced. "I almost forgot," Sarah then told us. "I want to go to Hough's in Greenfield for Trivia Night next Saturday night to celebrate my birthday, and I want to invite Carly Shay and her parents to come with us. Angel, do me a favor and go to Carly's apartment and tell her that her and her parents are invited to come to Trivia Night at Hough's next Saturday night!" "Okay, Sarah," I replied. "I will do that! See you later!" I then went over to Carly's apartment and found Carly watching shows like _Community_ and _Seinfeld._ "Carly, how would you and your parents like to go to Hough's in Greenfield for Trivia Night next Saturday for Sarah's birthday?" I then asked Carly. "Um, sure," Carly replied. "That would be fun. I will go let my parents know the news." Carly then turned off the TV and went to go tell her mom and stepdad, Sam and Freddie, about Trivia Night at Hough's.

Part 2: Sarah's Point of View

The following Sunday evening, Sarah was sitting in the living room alone with a bowl of popcorn, watching the classic Disney movie _Toy Story_ on Netflix. "Hi, Sarah," I then asked my best friend. "What's wrong?" "I'm still worried about James," Sarah explained. "I want to go to Hough's for Trivia Night on Saturday, but what if James still doesn't know where he's going?" Sarah then paused. "I also still want to go out to Denunzio's in Monroeville for lunch next Sunday afternoon," Sarah then told me, "and I would also like to invite Alex Russo and her guy friends. I'm just not sure if they like Italian food, or not." "I know exactly what you're going through, Sarah," I then told my friend. "You're experiencing a lot of insecurity and conflict. Have you ever had to experience conflict resolution as a teenager?" "Absolutely, when I took gym class in 7th grade," Sarah then explained to me. Pretty soon, James and Henri came in with dinner all cooked and ready to eat. We were having burgers and fries for dinner. I took a lightened bacon cheeseburger. Sarah then told us about the insecurity she experienced in gym class. "This was one of my main experiences with conflict resolution, and I felt very uncomfortable dealing with conflict. I knew the girls in my class were upset with me when they worried about me getting a failing grade. I typically respond by telling them that I can take care of my own problems and they need to just worry about their own personal problems. My friends can explain to me that they feel the same way that I do when I am upset with them." "I agree with you, Sarah," I then told my friend. "I felt insecure about taking gym class in 6th grade, too." "On my first day of gym class, I remained calm, took a break, expressed feelings in words rather than actions, meaning that I was direct and honest, and used "I" statements to reflect feelings, was specific about what was bothering me, dealt with one issue at a time, kept ego, entitlement, and expectations out of the argument, listened, encouraged others to share, validated their concerns, and looked at the big picture," Sarah then explained to us. "However, I didn't hit below the belt, meaning attack the things that really hurt the other person, with certainly no "low blows", accuse people, jump to conclusions without gathering facts by assuming the worse, generalize, stockpile, clam up, meaning I get quiet or avoid, or name call." "It _is_ perfectly normal to feel insecure on your first day of gym class," I then reminded Sarah. "But, you don't want to make things worse by doing all those things that you did NOT want to do!" "James, Angel, could you both do me a favor?" Sarah asked. "Could you look up directions to Hough's in Greenfield for Saturday and Denunzio's in Monroeville for Sunday, James?" "Sure," James replied. "I could help you," Henri then offered. "And Angel, go to Alex's apartment and tell her that her and her guy friends are invited to come to lunch at Denunzio's next Sunday afternoon!" "Okay, Sarah," I replied. "I will do that! See you soon!" I then went over to Alex's apartment and found Alex watching shows like _The Big Bang Theory_ on TBS and _Full House_ on Nick at Nite. "Alex, how would you, Justin, and Max like to go to Denunzio's in Monroeville next Sunday for Sarah's birthday?" I then asked Alex. "By the way, do you guys like Italian food?" "Yes, and we would absolutely love to come," Alex replied. "That will be lots of fun! I will call Justin and Max, and let them know the news." Alex then turned off her TV and called her guy friends, Justin and Max, about lunch at Denunzio's.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Sarah's Birthday Celebration

Part 1: Trivia Night with iCarly

On a cold and cloudy Saturday in late November, I met Sarah, James, and Henri at Hough's in Greenfield for Trivia Night. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my best friends. "Hi, Angel!" Sarah greeted back. James was standing there impatiently. "What's wrong, James?" I asked my male friend. "Where are they?" James then asked impatiently. "Carly and her parents were supposed to be here by now," Sarah explained to me. Pretty soon, a car drove up to Hough's that looked just like James's car. Carly and her parents, Mrs. Shay and Mr. Benson, were finally here. "Hi, Sarah!" Carly greeted. "Happy birthday!" "Thanks, Carly," Sarah replied. "I brought you a birthday card and baked some brownies for everyone to share," Carly then told us. "Mrs. Shay, you drive the same type of car that I do," James noticed. "Yes, I do, James," Mrs. Shay told him. "A BMW." "My dad taught me how to drive just before I turned 16 years old," James told everyone. "I also had a driving instructor named Thomas, who would later voluntarily help out with Henri's 5th grade class." "I remember learning to drive was hard for me, at first," Mrs. Shay then remembered. "It was for me, too," Mr. Benson agreed. "But as we grew older, we all got the hang of driving." We then went inside Hough's and got seated. Afterwards, we ordered beverages to drink. I ordered a glass of beer. We also ordered food to eat. I ordered chicken fingers and potato and cheese pierogies. Sarah then opened her birthday card from Carly and her family and saw there was a Bath and Body Works gift card inside. Carly then passed out her homemade fudge brownies that she baked. "I'm saving the last brownie for you, Sarah, since you are the birthday girl," Carly stated. "Why thank you, Carly!" Sarah gushed. "You're such a nice person!" "Mmm, these brownies are really good," Henri stated. "Fudge brownies with walnuts is my favorite dessert!" "They're my favorite dessert, too, Henri," Mr. Benson agreed. "I taught Carly how to bake those." "We can't stay here very long," Carly then told us, "because I want to get home and type up my paper for Senior Seminar. It is a 20-page paper on a fairy tale or folktale of my choice. I am choosing _Pocahontas_ since it is my favorite Disney movie." "I remember you dressed up as Pocahontas for Halloween, Carly," Sarah remembered. Pretty soon, we got our meals. I got my chicken fingers and pierogies. "Your chicken fingers look yummy, Angel," Sarah remarked. "May I have one, please?" "Sure," I replied. Sarah then took a chicken finger off my plate. "May I have one too, Angel?" Carly then asked me. "Absolutely," I replied. Carly then took another chicken finger off my plate. Soon after, it was time for questions to start. Sarah and Carly were on my team, while James, Henri, Mrs. Shay, and Mr. Benson were on the other team. The categories included Sexiest Man Alive, State Mammals, Trademarks, The Sports Hall of Fame, and Animals in Literature. The only question I knew the answer to was the last one about _Charlotte's Web_ , since I knew about that movie for a very long time. The Pitt basketball game was also playing on the TV, and the Pitt Panthers ended up winning. Sarah also got a special birthday cake at the end of the night. It was vanilla-flavored with strawberries inside. We all ate a piece of Sarah's lovely cake. "Mmm, this cake is really good, Sarah!" I remarked. "Strawberries are my favorite fruit." "Thank you," Sarah replied. "They are one of my favorite fruits, too." The Shays all got their checks and had to give a tip of 20 percent. It was time for Carly and her parents to leave. "Angel, Sarah, thanks for inviting us!" Carly thanked us. "You're welcome, Carly," Sarah replied. "Time for us to go home, Carly," Mrs. Shay told her daughter. "Yeah, you have a paper to work on," Mr. Benson agreed. After the Shays left, we got our checks and gave a tip of 20 percent. We then left Hough's to go back to our apartment. "That was fun, Angel," Sarah told me. "I'm sad it's all over now." "It's not over yet, Sarah," I reminded my best friend. "We still have lunch at Denunzio's with Alex, Justin, and Max tomorrow afternoon!" "Oh, right," Sarah then remembered. "But, let's go to sleep so we won't be tired tomorrow." Sarah then turned out the light. "Good night!" I told Sarah. "Good night!" I then got under my covers and went to sleep. 

Part 2: Denunzio's with Wizards of Waverly Place

The next morning was Sunday. It was sunny outside, but still chilly. I then got up and stretched. "Good morning, Sarah!" I then greeted my best friend. "Good morning, Angel!" Sarah greeted back. She then got up and got dressed in the outfit that she didn't wear to Thanksgiving dinner- her hot pink sweater and skirt, along with her black high-heeled shoes. I then got up and dressed nice for lunch, too. We then saw James and Henri in the main living room. The Parkway East was very busy with traffic due to a Steeler game in the afternoon. When Sarah, James, Henri, and I arrived at Denunzio's in Monroeville, we found Alex and her guy friends, Justin and Max already sitting at our table. "Hi, Angel!" Alex happily greeted me. "Hi, Sarah! Happy birthday!" "Thanks, Alex," Sarah replied. "What are you guys doing here so early?" James asked. "We misheard you and thought you guys said 12:00 rather than 1:00," Justin explained to James. "That's okay, Justin," James stated. "Alex, Max, and I split an appetizer while we waited." We then took our seats. I sat between Sarah and Alex, and James and Justin sat across from us. Henri and Max sat on the other side of the table. I then decided to order an appetizer, too. "Do you guys have provolone sticks?" I asked the waitress. "Sorry, but they just ran out of provolone sticks," Justin told me. I then ordered meatballs in ricotta cheese for an appetizer, instead. "So, Alex," I asked my friend, "how is Pitt going for you?" "Good," Alex replied. "I do an internship at the Carnegie Museum of National History this spring, and then I graduate." "Congratulations, Alex!" Sarah remarked. "I brought you a birthday card and baked some lemon squares for everyone to share," Alex then told us. We then ordered either soup or a salad for a starter. Sarah then opened her birthday card from me, and saw there was a Kohl's gift card inside. She then opened her birthday card from Alex and her guy friends, and saw there was another Kohl's gift card inside. Alex then passed out her lemon squares for everyone to share. We also got our soups and salads. Sarah ordered a cobb salad, since that was her favorite. Alex and I both ordered a simple garden salad, only I got mine without dressing. James and Justin both ordered wedding soup. "Isn't this good wedding soup, James?" Justin asked. "It sure is, Justin," James agreed. "Wedding soup is one of my favorite foods!" "Mmm, I love the croutons in this salad!" Alex stated. "Justin, remember our senior banquet where we ate food exactly like this?" "I sure do, Alex," Justin replied. "What types of food did you have to eat at your senior banquet, Max?" Henri then asked. "We had lots of yummy things, such as salad, rolls, pasta, potatoes, chicken fingers, and roast beef, Henri," Max then told Henri. "If you like foods like what we're having right now, then you would have definitely liked what we had at our banquet." "I sure would definitely love a meal like that, Max," Henri then agreed, licking his lips. Then, we got our entrees. I ordered the pasta sampler with three entrees- gnocchi, meat and cheese ravioli, and spaghetti with a meatball. Sarah ordered gnocchi with cheese and tomato cream sauce. Alex ordered penne with marinara sauce. Justin ordered fettuccine noodles with cheese sauce. James ordered fettuccine noodles with mushroom sauce. "This is one of my favorite places to eat at," Sarah remarked. "Mine too," Alex agreed. "My family and I come here on the last Sunday of every month, and it was right on the way to Hiram G. Andrews Center where I went to school with Angel!" "We might do some Christmas shopping after we eat," Sarah announced. "Would you guys like to come?" "Sorry, but we have to go back home, so we don't miss the American Music Awards on TV," Alex told Sarah. We then heard Christmas music playing. "Ah, this music gets me in the spirit for Christmas!" I happily exclaimed. "You missed out on Christmas 2004 where we opened presents and ate a special dinner," Sarah told Alex. "Well, you missed out on Christmas 2009 and 2010 where we performed in concerts, opened presents, and ate lots of great things for dinner- and get this, we even got snow!" Alex then told Sarah. Alex then stopped eating her meal. "Uh, I'm so full," she then admitted. "I think I would like a box for my lunch to take home another day." "Me too," Justin agreed. "Could we both have a box to take our food home in, please?" he then asked the waitress. It was then time for Sarah's birthday cake. There were candles shaped like a 2 and a 7 on top of the cake, which was for Sarah's 27th birthday. We were having white bavarian cake with nuts. Alex didn't want a piece, since she didn't like nuts, so she ordered a hot fudge sundae instead, which I offered to split with her. I also had a piece of Sarah's birthday cake, as well. Pretty soon, it was time for Alex and her guy friends to leave. "Angel, Sarah, thanks for inviting us!" Alex thanked. "You're welcome, Alex," Sarah replied. "Come on Alex, it's time for us to go back home," Justin told his friend. "Yeah, we don't want to miss the American Music Awards," Max agreed. After Alex, Justin, and Max left, we then headed over to the Monroeville Mall to do some Christmas shopping. Sarah, James, and Henri then dropped me off at my mom's apartment in Highland Park. "Bye, guys!" I then said to my friends. "Thanks for a great Thanksgiving week!" "You're welcome, Angel!" Sarah told me. "Bye!" I felt so full from lunch that I was not sure if I was able to have stuffed chicken for dinner that evening with Erica, Eva, and Sophia. Overall, Thanksgiving week and the weekend before Sarah's birthday were so much fun for me!


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Toxic Friendships

Part 1: Sarah's Point of View

It was a cold and cloudy Saturday in early December. I went over to Sarah, James, and Henri's apartment in Oakland for breakfast. "Hi, guys!" I greeted James and Henri in their living room. "Hi, Angel!" James greeted back. "Where's Sarah at?" I then asked. "In her room feeling sad," Henri told me. "Maybe, I'll go to her room and cheer her up," I then offered. "That's a good idea, Angel," James agreed. "You should totally do that." He then handed out a plate of waffles for me and another plate to give to Sarah. I then took both of the plates and knocked on Sarah's bedroom door. "Come in!" Sarah answered. I then opened the door. "Hi Sarah, what's wrong?" I then asked my friend. Sarah then sighed. "My old boyfriend John Paul Jones, that's what's wrong," Sarah explained. "What made you think about him, all of a sudden?" I then asked. We then sat down to eat our waffles together. "Ever since I turned 27, I thought about my great boyfriend, Robert, and it made me think of my toxic friendship with John Paul," Sarah then explained. "It was a toxic relationship since John Paul was talking me into seeing an R-rated movie, and I found it easy to end the friendship because John Paul was talking me into watching a movie that I was not old enough to watch." I nodded my head. "Oh, I see now," I then stated. "Whenever I told John Paul no, he then bullied me, called me names, turned his friends against me, and he was also not very understanding, and I was left in complete ostracization," Sarah narrated. "How exactly did you describe the situation when John Paul took you to see an R-rated movie, Sarah?" I then asked. "It was basically criminal activity where he put me in other negative situations," Sarah finally explained. "How exactly did you end your toxic friendship with John Paul Jones?" I then asked Sarah. "Well, I recognized I was in a toxic friendship, as well as my role. I did not give more than I took. I also set boundaries," Sarah explained. "What kind of boundaries?" I then asked. "I removed myself from the physical spaces that John Paul was in, set mental and emotional boundaries by not letting his words affect me, and addressing the specific action that he was doing with me to try and fix the relationship before ending," Sarah then replied. "I'm so proud of you, Sarah," I then complimented my friend. "I think Robert is a much better boyfriend for you than John Paul." "Thank you, Angel," Sarah replied. Sarah and I then hugged each other. "Let's go back into the living room with James and Henri, okay?" I then asked. "Okay," Sarah agreed. We then went back into the living room. "Henri wants to go to Starbucks in Shadyside and meet up with his old friend, John Quincy from the support group that he used to be in tomorrow afternoon," James informed us. "Okay then," I agreed. "It's time for me to go now so I can go next door and help my friend, Carly Shay bake some cheesecake. Bye, guys!" "Bye, Angel!" Sarah replied. "Good luck!"

Part 2: Henri's Point of View

The next Sunday afternoon, right after I got a milkshake with Erica, I met Sarah, James, and Henri at Starbucks in Shadyside, rather than their apartment. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my best friends. "Hi, Angel!" Sarah greeted back. "You remember John Quincy, right?" Henri asked me. "Of course I do, Henri," I then replied. "I used to be in a toxic friendship with John Quincy in the past, since he was in my personal support group, and he made fun of me for wanting to go to college in the future," Henri then explained. "I found it very hard to end the friendship because he was one of my best friends, as well as everybody else in that group." "How exactly did you know it was a toxic friendship, Henri?" I then asked. "Oh, John Quincy's poor ego, expectations, entitlements, his hitting below the belt, his rivalry with me, and his constant laughing behind my back, as well as his physical aggression," Henri then explained to me. "John Quincy was basically taking advantage of me. Don't you realize that, Angel?" Henri then asked. "Yes, Henri," I replied. "I do realize that." "How exactly did you end your toxic friendship with John Quincy?" I then asked Henri. "Well, I surrounded myself with people who cared about me, such as my older brother and sister, James and Sarah, and you, Angel," Henri explained. "I also knew my worth and got help." "What do you think, John Quincy?" I then asked John Quincy. "Do you and Henri still want to be friends?" John Quincy then sighed. "No, not really," he then admitted. "Bye, Henri! It was nice knowing you!" He then ran out of the coffee shop. "That was a great way to express your feelings, Henri," James then admitted to his younger brother. They then hugged. "Yeah, we are all very proud of you," Sarah agreed. "I guess it's time for me to go now because I have to go help my friend, Alex Russo with Christmas shopping. Bye, guys!" "Bye, Angel!" Sarah replied. "Have fun!"


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Spending More Time With Friends

Part 1: Pizza and Board Games with iCarly

It was a cold and cloudy Friday night in December. I went to Sarah, James, and Henri's apartment in Oakland, where we were getting everything ready for pizza and board game night with one of my other best friends, Carly Shay and her parents. James got out bottles of Diet Coke and Sprite, and Sarah just got finished helping Henri bake cookies for the party. "Wow, Henri, you really love to bake, don't you, Angel?" I asked Henri. "Yes, Angel," Henri replied. "I do." "I taught him how to bake one of my all-time favorite kinds of cookies- peanut butter blossoms," Sarah then explained to me. "Just for something different, that's all," Henri chimed in. "They smell really good," I remarked. Meanwhile, James was looking out the window waiting for the pizza to come. "What is taking the pizza guy so long?" he then complained. "He should be here soon, James," I then reminded him. "I know, but I just hope that he didn't forget about us and deliver the pizza to the wrong address," James then worried. Pretty soon, the doorbell rang. James then went up to answer, and saw it was the pizza delivery guy. He then paid for our pizzas, and brought them into the living room. Sarah was getting her Scrabble game ready when Carly Shay and her parents, Sam and Freddie arrived. "Hi, guys!" I greeted them. "Hi, Angel! Hi, Sarah!" Carly greeted us. "Are we going to play Scrabble again?" "Yes, we are, Carly," Sarah replied. "I brought Marvel Trivia Pursuit that you, me, Henri, and Freddie can play, James," Mrs. Shay then told James. "But, I want to play Scrabble with Angel and Sarah, Mom," Carly then stated. "Okay, Carly," Mrs. Shay agreed. "Do what you want." "We also baked cookies to bring," Mr. Benson then stated. "Yum!" Henri remarked. "More cookies!" "I baked chocolate chip cookies," Mr. Benson then told everyone while putting the cookies on the table. "I also baked Christmas cookies," Carly then told me and Sarah. "I will go get the cinnamon bun-flavored Oreos in the closet," James then told everyone. He then ran to get the Oreos. "I heard we were also going to have pizza tonight," Carly remembered. "Is that true?" "Yes, Carly," Sarah replied. "James will serve us our pizza." "I'm hungry," I then stated. "Okay, guys," James told all of us. "I ordered a pizza with half ham and pineapple and half pepperoni, and a regular cheese pizza." He then opened the 2 boxes of pizza and we served ourselves. I got 2 pieces of ham and pineapple. Sarah and Carly each got 2 pieces of cheese pizza. James, Henri, Mr. Shay, and Mr. Benson each got a piece of pepperoni pizza. We also poured ourselves drinks and helped ourselves to the cookies that everyone baked and brought. I tried a peanut butter blossom cookie, a chocolate chip cookie, a Christmas cookie, and a cinnamon bun-flavored Oreo, and then poured myself a glass of Diet Coke. "So, how did your _Pocahontas_ presentation go, Carly?" I then asked Carly. "I am not sure what my final grade for the course is yet, Angel," Carly then replied. "But, I did find another person in my class who likes _Pocahontas_." "That's such a great Disney movie," Sarah then agreed. " _Toy Story_ is also a good Disney movie." I then had Christmas presents for Sarah and Carly. I gave Sarah some cute pillows and blankets for her bed and Carly a "just for fun" kit filled with a card game, joke book, and silly stuffed animal. The three of us then sat down to play Scrabble, while James, Henri, Mrs. Shay, and Mr. Benson sat down to play Marvel Trivia Pursuit. "Hopefully, I will have better luck at Scrabble this time," I declared. "I hope so, too," Carly agreed. "It's just the three of us this time, since Alex isn't here." "We'll meet Alex and her friends on Sunday to have dinner and go see a show in downtown Pittsburgh," Sarah then explained. "You can go first, Carly." Carly then took her turn to spell out the word "date" on the board. I then took my turn and spelled out the word "tardy" on the board. Sarah then took her turn and spelled out the word "yellow" on the board. "This is so much fun, Sarah," Carly then told us. "I wish you were like me and Angel's regular baby-sitter." "Everybody thinks that, Carly," Sarah agreed. "It's your turn, by the way." Carly then took her turn. "I remember when I first baby-sat Henri and Angel at age 14 while James was away on his high school ski trip, and we did lots of fun activities and ate fun snacks, just like tonight," Sarah then remembered. "What did you eat and play?" Carly then asked. "We played some of our favorite card games, like Uno and Go Fish," I then explained. "I ate Lay's potato chips, Sarah ate pretzels, and Henri ate Doritos." "Yummy," Carly remarked. "Pretzels are one of my favorite snacks to eat, too." "I am pretty much recreating the moment tonight," Sarah explained to us. "Only instead of playing card games, we're playing board games." "Right," Carly agreed. "Also, instead of snacks like chips and pretzels, we are eating pizza and cookies!" "I remember when I visited Angel up at Edinboro, and we had a pizza and ice cream party," Carly then told Sarah. "You missed out on that!" We then watched James and Henri, as well as Mrs. Shay and Mr. Benson, playing Marvel Trivia Pursuit. James and Mrs. Shay took turns reading the questions, and occasionally, Henri or Mr. Benson would read the questions. Going back to our game of Scrabble, Sarah was in the lead with 100 points, while Carly and I were tied for 50 points. Carly was having trouble spelling out words again. When we got towards the end of the game, Carly spelled out the word "on" and then I added a "b" and a "d" to each end of the word. "Hey, that was my word, Angel," Carly pointed out. Sarah then took her last turn by spelling the words "yum" and "by." Sarah ended up winning the game once again with 150 points. I was in 2nd place with 86 points, and Carly was in 3rd place with 77 points. "Well, I guess it is time for all of us to get home now," Carly then told us. I then agreed to drive home with Carly and her parents. "Bye, guys!" I said to Sarah, James, and Henri. "Thanks for a great evening!" "You're welcome," Sarah replied back. "Good night!"

Part 2: Dinner and a Show with Wizards of Waverly Place

On a cold and cloudy Sunday in December, I met Sarah, James, and Henri at their apartment in Oakland, so we could meet some of my other friends, Alex Russo, Justin Evans, and Max Greenwald in downtown Pittsburgh to see the play _A Christmas Carol_ at the Byham Theater and then have dinner at the Grand Concourse. We were then finding a place to park inside the parking garage when soon after, we already met Alex, Justin, and Max inside the theater. "Hi, guys!" I then greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel! Hi, Sarah!" Alex greeted us. "I have a present for you, Angel." "What is it, Alex?" I then asked my friend. I then checked to see what she got me- wrist warmers for my arms! "I have a present for you, too, Sarah," Alex then stated as she gave Sarah the exact same present. "These are very nice wrist warmers, Alex," Sarah noticed. "Thank you!" "Yes, Alex," I agreed. "Thank you!" I then gave Alex my Christmas present for her, which was cold weather gear, including a matching hat, scarf, and fingerless gloves. "I guess we all want to be protected in the cold weather, huh, Alex?" I asked my friend. "Yes, because I care about you," Alex explained. "You've been caring about me since we became friends in high school," I then reminded her. We then took our seats for the show. Sarah and Alex sat on either side of me. Justin and Max sat next to Alex, and James and Henri sat next to Sarah. The play was based off the classic Christmas novel by Charles Dickens. During intermission, all 7 of us got a glass of orange juice. "This is just as fun as our reunion trip in the summer just before Angel went to Edinboro," Alex then told me and Sarah, "where we ate dinner at the Renaissance hotel, stayed overnight, and then took a trip to Kennywood Park." "That must have been lots of fun for you, Alex," Sarah remarked. "It certainly was." We then saw the second half of _A Christmas Carol_ on stage, and then when the show was over, we went to the Grand Concourse at Station Square to eat dinner. I sat next to Sarah and Alex once again. "I took Angel here on her birthday one year," Sarah told Alex. "I can't find the chicken parmesan entree I ate that night, though," I noticed as I searched the menu. "They probably don't have it anymore, Angel," Alex told me. "Did you have a good scholarship interview with Carnegie Mellon University, James?" Justin then asked James. "Yes, I did, Justin," James then explained. "I miss going to college there already." "I miss going to Mercyhurst University in Erie," Justin then remembered. "What is everybody talking about, Henri?" Max then inquired. "They're talking about Angel's birthday celebration at Station Square and James's interview at Carnegie Mellon University, Max," Henri explained. We each got water and pop to drink. Alex and I both ordered a Caesar salad for a starter, Sarah ordered Martha's Vineyard Salad, James and Justin both ordered Charley's Chowder, and Henri and Max both ordered mussels a la muer. "Tell me more about your internship at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Alex," I then told my friend. "Well, it begins on January 17 after Martin Luther King, Jr. Day," Alex told me, "and I basically help teach visitors about famous paintings in the museum." "I should come visit you some time this spring, Alex," I then told her. "Maybe I will, too," Sarah then agreed with me. "I always loved going to the Carnegie Museum." Soon afterwards, we got our dinners. I ordered top sirloin, Sarah ordered shrimp and artichoke pasta, Alex ordered lemon chicken breast, James ordered Salmon Rockefeller, Justin ordered grilled Atlantic salmon, Henri ordered coconut macadamia shrimp, and Max ordered Maryland crab cakes. Options of side dishes included favorites like reggiano potato croquettes, mashed Yukon gold potatoes, jumbo fresh asparagus, and steamed broccoli crowns. Afterwards, we got dessert. Alex and I split a vanilla bean ice cream sundae, Sarah ordered orange sherbet, James ordered chocolate mousse, Justin ordered a slice of cheesecake, and Henri and Max split a slice of key lime pie. "Mmm, that was delicious!" I then stated. "I'm full," Alex admitted. Her nose then began running, so she got a Kleenex and blew her nose. "Excuse me, guys," Alex excused herself. "I have a cold and it's really bothering me." "It's okay, Alex," I then told her. "I am just beginning to recover from a cold, too." After we paid our bills, we got ready to leave. Alex offered to drive me home. "Bye, guys!" I told my friends. "Thanks for a great evening and dinner!" "You're welcome, Angel," Sarah replied back. "Bye!"


End file.
